Snowboarding is a sport of relatively recent emergence. Only one snowboard is used at a time by the rider. Each board has two bindings for its rider, both of whose feet are thereby bound to the board. The rider does not have poles or any other implement to be used by his hands. His feet are firmly bound to the board, and his path and circumstances are entirely determined by the contortions and extortions of his body respective to the contours of the path (course) which he intends to traverse.
The paths or courses which the snowboarder may wish to traverse can extend in type and complexity from the simplest of bunny slopes to semi-cylindrical channels in which leaps, loops and inversions are frequently attempted. The complexity attainable depends heavily on the athleticism of the snowboarder, and also to a surprising extent on the properties of the snowboard itself.
It is tempting to regard the snowboard as simply a species of a surfboard, a belly board, or of a water ski or a snow ski. However, on reflection one can appreciate the very substantial differences in their intended structural properties, and also in the way they are used.
For example, a surfboard is intended to be a large quite thick, buoyant and rigid body. It needs to be all of these because the surfer rests and paddles on it most of the time. When he catches a wave, he stands freely on the board, actually walking up and down its length much of the time. His ability to remain with the board depends on the dynamics of the wave, and on his sense of balance. Flexibility of the board, or a rigid binding to the board would be the farthest thing from his mind. In the course of rides of the better riders, there may be quite vigorous maneuvers. Also, during or at the end of many rides, he has either fallen off the board, got back on it, or jumped off of it and must get it back through the waves, hopefully before it has struck some object which might damage it.
While belly boards are rarely subject to the same extreme maneuvers of a surfboard, and the rider only rests on it, still it must float and be quite rigid.
Snow skis face many of the same conditions as snowboards in that they are used on snowy surfaces which while they are sometimes soft, are often quite hard and icy. Also, when the snow starts to disappear, there are regions in which the skier will find himself which are at least partly rocky or sandy. The speeds are very substantial, and the bending forces on the ski can often be quite large. Some bending and conformity to a surface are needed for structural integrity and for control, but not much. Rigidity of the ski is needed for proper control. Still, the conventional ski has only one foot bound to it, and the user has ski poles to assist him in maintaining his balance and directional control.
A water skier faces many of the same problems as the snow skier. While the water skier does not have poles, he has the towing rope as a reference and source of propulsion. He can move his hand grip around for balance purposes. The snowboarder has none of these advantages. He is simply on his way down a slope with only his balance and the snowboard features to help him.
The snowboard and snowboarder face an entirely different set of conditions from the above other sports. He is bound to the board. Thus, when he goes into sharp bends or markedly curved surfaces, he must have some compliance of the board, because most of the board will still be in contact with the surface. His weight, which is amplified by centrifugal forces is exerted near the center of the board, and reasonable flexibility of the board is needed in order to avoid sharp digging into the surfaces and probably falling, and to enable its orientation relative to the surface to be varied.
Snowboards are generally several feet long and about one foot wide. The stresses on the board can be quite severe. Furthermore, the board must run along surfaces which may include sand and rocks, as well as hard ice and snow. Abrasion on the bottom of the board must be resisted, while at the same time the bottom surface must provide a suitably slick surface so the board can freely slide on the surface.
Further to complicate matters is the need for reasonably sharp running and active edges, but edges still which have a suitable useful life, even in view of the stringencies to which they are exposed.
These objectives must all be met in a board which preferably is light-weight, less than one-half inch thick, and one which provides an optimum response to the stringencies of its intended use, and which enables the snowboarder to exert an increased level of control over his travel.